Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Agasaya]

So my parents are coming in a few days and staying at Lotte Hotel in Myeong Dong. By the time they get here, they will have been traveling around China for a month.
I am having problems trying to figure out what they should do here. They love to walk, and they would see what Seoul and around Seoul has to offer. The palaces are nice and will take up a day, although (no offense to Korea at all) the palaces are not very impressive. However, they do give you an appreciation for Korea's history of invasions and being destroyed.
They can walk around Insadong and then maybe see some museums, but I am thinking about something 'impressive' to show them that reflects Korea's beauty maybe outside the city.
This is just to help with some ideas, and isn't meant to be taken the wrong way, but, my parents are a little 'snobbish' so taking them to Itaewan, dinner shows, casinos, etc. are not their cup of tea. This makes it a bit harder to create them an itinerary since they don't settle for anything less than visually pleasing and intellectually stimulating. (This isn't putting them down, whatsoever, they are great people, but the bluntness will probably get more relevant responses)
Anybody have any suggestions? I have lived here for a little less than a year, and I know what I like to do, and am much less uptight about what I see than my parents.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Tell them to cancel their tickets and go somewhere else.

[uberscheisse]

hiking on kwanaksan, if your parents are the slightest bit athletic, is a very good way to see some great scenery. it is a great combo of easy hike/beautiful rocky crags/temples.

it's in south seoul, near gwacheon station. tell your parents to get over their snobbish side a bit and eat at the little huts at the bottom of the hill - pajeon, dongdong ju and whatever else... it's a great meal.

if they're interested in history, the seodaemun prison museum is great too.

as far as "outside the city" i always recommend the andong/yeongju area. it's the most beautiful place in korea, IMHO.

[ciccone_youth]

The Museum of Art.

Namsan Tower. You could take them out for a nice meal inside the tower with a view of the city.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Good times:

"WTF's this?"

"Kimchi, Dad"

"Well I'm not eating that sheet again. And this meat is terrible. Tastes like ass. And there's bones in it. These people... How can you live here? Good on you though, son. I'm proud of you even though everyone back home is wondering what the hell you're doing here and think you're a loser."

(tongue in cheek, tongue in cheek)

[dogshed]

[Imrahil]

Tell them to go to a sauna.

[stevieg4ever]

보신탕 or 영양탕 restaurant might do the trick.

Only joking...

I went to 봉은사 (bongeunsa) temple saturday and it was fantastic. 경북궁 or 창덕궁 are very nice as well. as daytrips go, what about 화성 fortress in suwon?

Namhansanseong is fantastic, southeast of seoul. 청계천 is great as well.

[brento1138]

Definitely tell them to visit that amazing historical site in Suwon. It's called Hwaseo. It is a fortress wall. It takes a while to talk around the whole thing, and is very enjoyable. When you get to the top you see a wonderful view of Suwon. There's a bell you can ring. And then you can check out the old palace. Definitely a good place to visit. One of the best I've seen in Korea, and the world.

[Imbroglio]

[Countrygirl]

A folk village. I don't know which one would be good, but folk villages have the nice traditional dances and music etc which they might like. And it could take up one more day on your calendar. There are some folk villages that Koreans actually live in.

[Fishead soup]

Take them to Tobongsan mountain in Northern Seoul bordering on Uijeombu. You can go one of those Makoli places and have Bossom.

[Atavistic]

When my parents were here

My mother almost caused an "incident" at the DMZ (no lie).
My mother bought at least three different Korean flutes.
My mother got drunk off of soju.
My stepfather quizzed me on the geography around Namsan Tower.
My stepfather could not figure his way around the subway station at all.
They both really like the folk village near Suwon/Yongin and in fact, wandered off and I lost them both. I went from employee to employee, asking if they'd seen my parents. "What do they look like?" "Oh, they're foreigners, you know..."
My stepfather asked my 15 questions to translate and ask the blacksmith and woodworker. I was going a bit crazy.
We had a really, really beautiful day trip to the Boseong Tea Fields, Damyang bamboo forest, and some street with metasequoias.
Oh, and on Thursdays Changdeokgung palace has unguided, individual tours for 15,000 won per person. Really, really nice.

But...my parents aren't the snobs you make your parents out to be...so good luck!

[cdninkorea]

Well, if my parents were to come here, here are some things I'd consider, in no particular order except the one I think of them in:

- 63 Building in Yeouido
- DMZ trip
- Walk up Namsan (no cable car)
- Walk through the ambassador/filthy rich people's homes district around the Hyatt
- a red light district (really- only ever window shopped, but it is a part of Korea) (one near Sinyongsan station, exit 4 line 4)
- Bank of Korea museum (near Myeong-dong)
- Gwanghwamun/Insa-dong/Sam-cheon dong + Seoul Museum of History
- Yongsan War Museum (Samgakji station, line 4)
- The homeless district around Seoul station

As you can see, I believe in showing all sides of a country. Only showing the nice parts isn't a true reflection of any country.

[Fishead soup]